President Bola Tinubu has called for the establishment of direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil as a key step towards strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
President Tinubu made this call during a meeting with the newly appointed Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Jose Areias, on Thursday in Abuja.
This disclosure is contained in a statement released by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
The statement added that, while receiving the Letter of Credence from the Brazilian Ambassador, President Tinubu reiterated his earlier discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on this matter, which took place in February on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This initiative is expected to enhance economic collaboration and cultural exchange, further deepening the long-standing ties between Nigeria and Brazil.
“President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja urged the newly appointed Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Jose Areias, to prioritize the establishment of direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil.
“Receiving the Letter of Credence from the Brazilian Ambassador, President Tinubu reiterated his discussions with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on the matter, in February, on the margins of the African Union Summit, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” the statement read in part.
President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Brazil, highlighting the deep cultural and economic connections between the two nations.
He encouraged Brazilian Ambassador Carlos Jose Areias to explore Nigeria’s economic opportunities, particularly in dairy farming and emphasized the agreement with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to boost economic cooperation.
Ambassador Areias, in turn, expressed President Lula’s anticipation of welcoming President Tinubu to the G20 Summit in November 2024 and invited Nigeria to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, a key initiative of Brazil’s G20 presidency.
He also pledged to enhance trade relations, noting that Africa, especially Nigeria, remains a top priority for Brazil.
What you should know
The idea of establishing direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil, specifically between Lagos and Sao Paulo, was first discussed by President Bola Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in February 2024.
President Lula emphasized the need for formal talks to address the lack of direct flights and highlighted the potential for collaboration in the aviation sector between the two countries.
“It is meaningless that there are no direct flights from Lagos to Sao Paulo and vice versa. I cannot understand that. We have to sit at a table and find a solution for that. In aviation, there are many areas of potential collaboration with our manufacturers who seek to have a greater presence in Africa,” President Lula stated.
In June, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced plans for local airlines to soon launch direct flights to North and South America, including the first-ever direct flights between Nigeria and South America.
He emphasized that expanding routes to these regions is part of the government’s strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian airlines on international routes, which have long been dominated by foreign carriers, with the goal of reducing airfare prices.